Accounting machine



Aug. 3, 1937. A. OTT ET AL ACCOUNTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 25, 1935 3 riventors Albert Ott and Ernst Dreyer Their (lttornegAug. 3, 1937. A. OTT El AL ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1955 2Sheets-$heet 2 a J mm t .K 2 11D 3 mm zo AE Their Gum/M1;

latented Aug. 3, 1937 STATES 2,088,662 ACCOUNTING MACHINE Albert Ott,Zurich-Oerlikon, and Ernst lDreyer, Zurich-Hongg, Switzerland, assignorsto The National Cash Register Company,

Dayton,

Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application February 25, 1935, SerialNo. 8,188 In France February 28, 1934 10 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in the tabulating mechanism ofcalculating or accounting machines of the type disclosed in LettersPatent of the United States Nos. 1,197,276 and 1,197,- 278, issuedSeptember 5, 1916, to Halcolm Ellis, Patent No. 1,203,863, issuedNovember 'I, 1916, also to Halcolm Ellis, and U. S. Patent No. 1,819,-084, issued to Emil John Ens, August 18, 1931.

Broadly it is an object of this invention to provide means under controlof the traveling carriage in predetermined columnar positions thereof toautomatically effect repetition of operation in order to duplicate theprinting of various data in a plurality of columns of the recordmaterial.

Another object is to supply means to automatically release the machinefor operation when the traveling carriage is tabulated to predeterminedcolumnar positions.

Still another object is to provide means to disable the automaticreleasing means upon return gf the traveling carriage froni tabulatedposi-= ions.

A further object is the provision of means controlled by the travelingcarriage in tabulated positions thereof to unlock the machine releasingmeans.

Another object is to supply means to render the disabling means for theautomatic releasing means ineiiective.

A further object is to provide means under control of the travelingcarriage in tabulated positions thereof to disable the key releasingmeans in order to repeat or reprint amounts, previously set up on thekeyboard, in subsequent machine operations. 7

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includescertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theessential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and apreferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described withreference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of thisspecification.

Of said drawings:

Fig. l is aplan view of the automatic releasing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-4 of Fig. 1 lookingin thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the amount key releasing mechanism. i

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of control lever for theautomatic machine releasing means.

Fig. 6 shows in detail a part of the automatic machine releasingmechanism and the mechanism to unlock the starting bar. Fig. '7 is aperspective view including the various parts shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and6, and showing their relative location in the machine.

General description be adapted for use in most any type of account- 5ing machine.

The machine of this invention has a plurality of denominational rows ofamount keys which when depressed control the positioning ofdenominational reciprocating actuator racks, which in turn actuate thewheels of a plurality of totalizers mounted in vertical pairs at therear of the machine. The reciprocating actuators also position typecarriers arranged to make impressions on record material wound around aplaten roll mounted in the frame of the traveling carriage which issupported for lateral movement on a cabinet or case that encloses themechanism of the machine. The traveling carriage may be tabulatedmanually or automatically from right to left to present differentcolumns of the record material to the type carriers. The travelingcarriage when in tabulated positions is also adapted to select thediiferent totalizers for their various functions.

The accounting machine keyboard of the instant machine also comprises aplurality of control keys which like the traveling carriage select thedifferent totalizers for their functions and in addition control theoperation of the machine. The machine of this invention may be operatedby any convenient method or means but is preferably operated by aconstantly running motor secured to the baseof said machine andoperatively connected by a clutch mechanism to the machine drive shaft.The clutch mechanism is rendered eflective by depression of the usualstarting bar conveniently located on the beyboard of the accountingmachine and said clutch mechanism is automatically rendered inefiectiveat the end of machine operation. If desirable, the accounting machinemay be equipped with typewriter keys and type carriers operated therebyfor the purpose of printing various data upon the record material.

Drrrmnn DEscnrrrIoN Automatic releasing mechanism Directing attention toFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a traveling carriage I0 is supported forlateral movement on the top of a machine case H, which is attached tothe base of the machine (not shown). Secured to the front of the frameof the traveling carriage by means of studs I2 is a tabulating stop bar3, to the top edge of which is secured a plate |4 having pivoted theretoat I5 6 machine releasing pawls i5. Springs H are tensioned to urge thepawls IS in a clockwise direction to normally maintain tails thereof incontact with stop studs l8 fast in the plate l4.

Each of the pawls l5 has a tooth l9 adapted to cooperate with a roller(see also Fig. 6) on a lever 2| pivoted at 22 to a plate 23 secured tothe right frame 24 of the machine, indicated in dot and dash lines inFig. 1. A downward extension of the lever 2| carries a roller 25 adaptedto cooperate with an angular camming surface 25 on an arm 21 secured toa clutch release lever 28 pivoted at 29 to the right frame 24. A forwardextension of the lever 28 is bifurcated to embrace a stud 30 in a plate3| pivoted at 32 to the right frame. The lower end of a key stem 33 ispivoted at 34 to the plate 3| and the upper end of said key stem isadapted to cooperate with the forward portion of a double action motorbar 35 pivoted at 35 to a keyboard plate 31. The roller 25 (Fig. 6) isalso adapted to cooperate with the rounded nose 38 of a downwardextension of a lever 39 pivoted at 40 to the plate 23. An upwardextension of the lever 39 carries a stud 4| adapted to cooperate withthe upper surface 42 of a rearward extension of a locking plate 43pivoted at 44 to the frame 24. A spring 45 urges the locking platecounter-clockwise to normally maintain a step 45 thereof in the path ofa stud 41 secured in the plate 3|. The spring 45 by means of the stud 4|lever 33 clockwise against a stop stud 48 in the plate 23. A spring 49urges the lever 2| counterclockwise into contact with a stop stud 50secured in the plate 23. A plurality of tabulating stops 5| (Fig. 2)adjustably located on the stop bar 3 in cooperation with a. tabulatingstop 52 permits the traveling carriage to tabulate from right to left topresent different columns or sections of the record material to theaccounting machine 45 and typewriter type carriers.

By comparing Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the columnar tabulatingstops 5| are located with relation to the tabulating stop bar 52 and thepawls l5 so that the teeth IQ of said pawls engage 50 the roller 20 andimpart clockwise movement to the lever 2 as viewed in Fig. 6. Clockwisemovement of the lever 2| causes the roller 25 in cooperation with therounded nose 38 to rock the lever 39 counter-clockwise, which by meansof the stud 4| rocks the locking plate 43 clockwise against the tensionof the spring 45 to move the step 45 out of the path of the stud 41 topermit releasing movement of the plate 3| and the lever 28. Just afterthe locking plate 43 has been moved to ineffective position the roller25 in cooperation with the angular surface 25 ofthe arm 21 rocks thelever 28 clockwise to release the machine for operation in the wellknown manner as fully shown in the United States Patent to Bernau, No.1,601,102, September 28, 1926.

When the traveling carriage is returned from left to right the pawls l5by-pass the roller 20 without imparting any movement to the lever 2|.

Means to disable the automatic releasing means Mechanism is provided torender the machine releasing pawls l5 ineffective upon return of thetraveling carriage to starting position. This in cooperation with thesurface 42 also urges the zontal slots 54 in said slide in cooperationwith studs 55 secured in said plate M. A spring 55 is tensioned to urgethe slide 53 toward the left to cause a roller 51 attached to an upwardextension of said slide 53 to contact with the upper end of a lever 58pivoted at 59 to a plate 50 secured by means of studs 5| to thetabulating stop bar l3. A stop stud 62 in the lever 55 in cooperationwith the top surface of the plate it limits the counter-clockwisemovement of said lever 58 and the lefthand travel of the slide 53 underthe influence of the spring 55. The lever 513 has an arcuate surface 53which cooperates with a roller 54 carried by a bracket 55 secured to themachine case M.

The slide 53 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3), has near its left end a notch 55arranged to be engaged by a tooth 5')! on a retaining pawl 58 pivoted at59 to the plate M. The pawl 58 has an upward extension with an angularsurface "l0 adapted to cooperate with a nose H of a lever 13 pivoted at"M to the plate 50. A spring '45 is tensioned to urge the lever iii in acounter-clockwise direction to normally maintain an, angular surface ona righthand extension thereof against a stop stud 16 in the plate 50.

When the traveling carriage ill (Figs. Land 2) is being returned fromleft to right near the end of the return movement the arcuate surface 53of the lever 58 engages the roller 54 to rock said lever 58 clockwise,thereby causing the upward extension thereof, in cooperation with theroller 5'1 to move the slide 53 toward the right against the tension ofthe spring 55. When the notch 55 in said slide 61 in the pawl 58 aspring ll urges said pawl clockwise to cause said tooth to engage thenotch 55, to restrain lefthand movement of said slide 53 under influenceof the spring 55. This righthand movement of the slide 53 causes studs'13 carried thereby in cooperation with downward extensions 19 of thepawls l5 to rock said pawls counter-clockwise until the teeth l9 thereofare out of the path of the roller 20 in the lever 2|, thus rendering theautomatic releasing mechanism ineffective as the carriage nears the endof its return.

When it is desired to render the automatic releasing mechanismeffective, after moving the carriage out of its right most position, themanipulation of the lever 13 toward the right or clockwise by means of aconvenient fingerpiece formed by an upward extension thereof will causethe nose H in cooperation with the angular surface 10 (Fig. 3) to rockthe pawl 88 counterclockwise to release the slide 53 to the action ofthe spring 55 which returns the slide 53 toward the left to the positionhere shown. This allows the springs IT to return the pawls l5 to theireffective positions. The lever 13 may also be used to manually returnthe carriage toward the right to starting position. Downwardly directedcamming projections 80 on the plate 50 in cooperation with plungers 8|select particular totalizers for sub-total taking or total takingoperations when the traveling carriage is tabulated to predeterminedcolumnar positions.

A modification of retaining mechanism for the slide 53 is illustrated inFig. 5 and will now be described. In the modification the slide 53 has alug 32 adapted to cooperate with a stud 83 in a right angled extensionof an arm 84 secured to the lever 13. A spring 35, one end of which isconnected to the arm 84, urges the lever 13 counter-clockwise or towardthe left to normally 53 is opposite the tooth may be released bymanipulating the lever 13 clockwise or toward the right to rock the stud83 out of the path of the lug-82.

Mechanism to prevent automatic release of the amount keys in repeatoperations In the machine of the present invention the 15 amount keysare normally automatically released during each machine operation.Mechanism has been devised to disable the automatic key releasingmechanism in predetermined columnar positions of the traveling carriage.This mechanism, in cooperation with the automatic releasing mechanismpreviously described herein makes it possible to repeat the printing ofamounts in different columns of the record material. This mechanism isillustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 and will now be described.

Each row of amount keys 86 has a detent 8'I hinged near its top edge,the lower edge of which is urged rearwardly as shown in Fig. 4 intocommunication with the hooked lower ends 88 of the stems of the keys 86.The righthand edge of the detent 81 fits in a notch in a release bar 89supported for sliding movement in the keyboard framework. The forwardedge of the bar 89 has a 'stud 98 adapted to cooperate with one arm of abell crank 9| pivoted at I2 to an extension of the left machine frame(not shown). A forwardly disposed arm 92 of the bell crank 9I extendswithin a notch in a release slide 93, slidably supported by means ofslots therein in 40cooperation with studs 94 in the left machine frame.Pivoted at 95 to the slide 93 is a release lever 96 the lefthandhook-shaped extension of which is urged by a spring 91 into cooperationwith a stud 98 in a segment 99 secured to a main machine drive shaft I88joumaled in the right and left frames of the machine.

Each time the machine operates the shaft I88 and the segment 99oscillate first in a clockwise direction and then counter-clockwise tonormal position. As the stud 98 moves beyond the hook I8I during initialmovement of the segment 99 the spring 91 urges the lever 96counter-clockwise to move said hook in the path of the stud 98. Returnmovement of the segment 99 causes the stud. 98 to engage the hook I8i,and moves the lever 95 and the slide 93 toward the left as here viewed.Lefthand movement of the slide 93 causes the bell crank 9! to shift therelease bar 89 forwardly to rock the lower edge of the detent 81 alsoforwardly. to release the depressed amount keys. After the amount keys86 are released and when the segment 99 nears the end of its returnmovement counter-clockwise an upward extension I82 of the lever 96engages a stationary stud I83 to disengage the hook IIJI of said leverfrom the stud 98. The detents 871 being under spring tension, andthrough the connections as explained above, restore the slide 99 and thelever 98 to normal positions as here shown.

Pivoted on a fixed stud W9 is a lever I85, a nose Hit of which isadapted to cooperate with the edge of the extension I82 of the lever Thelever 595 has a leithand extension connected to by a rod it to a hangingbar lever 698 2) pivoted at I89 to a cross frame on the machine (notshown). The lever I88 has an upward extension II8 adapted to cooperatewith camming lugs II I on the stops 5|.

It is obvious that the stops 5I may be located 5 in desired columnarpositions along the tabulating stop bar I3. When the traveling carriageis tabulated to predetermined columnar positions the lug III engages theextension III) to rock the lever I88. clockwise, which movement by 10means of the rod I81 is transmitted to the lever I and moves said leverto the position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 4.

The mechanism, described above, for controlling the automatic keyrelease is primarily in- 15 tended to work in conjunction with theautomatic carriage tabulating mechanism but if desired it may be used inconnection with the manual tabulating mechanism. The above mechanismworks slightly diiferently in the two meth- 20 ods of tabulation andthis difference will now be explained.

In the present machine, automatic tabulation of the carriage takes placenear the end of the cycle of operation and before the segment 99 has 25rocked counter-clockwise far enough for the stud 98 to engage the hookI8I. By the time the stud 98 has moved to a position where it wouldnormally engage the hook I8I the carriage will have been moved to itsnew position and the tappet 30 on the carriage will have operated thelever I85 and moved the hook I8I out of the path of stud 98, so that thekey releasing mechanism will not be operated.

In manual tabulating operations, the carriage .3 is moved while segment99 is at rest. At this time the hook IN is not in the path of the stud98v and when the carriage is moved to its new position the tappet on thecarriage will operate the lever I85 to move the hook IN to its ineffec-40 tive position before the segment 99 starts its operation. I

Thus it may be seen that in operations involving automatic carriagetabulation, the hook I8I, which may have moved into the path of the 45stud 98 during the machine operation, may be moved out of the path ofstud 98 before the segment 99 and stud 98 have moved to a position wherethe hook I8I would be operated, to release the keys. In operationsinvolving manual car- 5 riage tabulation, on the other hand, the hookI8I has been moved to inefi'ective position before the stud 98 isoperated and consequently is not in the path of the stud during any partof the machine operation. 55

Thus, it can be seen that the stops 55 (Figs. 1 and 2) in cooperationwith the pawls I8 control the machine to automatically repeat print orduplicate data in succeeding automatic operations of the machine. 69

It is thought that the foregoing specification will impart a clearunderstanding of the mode of operation of a machine embodying themechanism of the present invention and for this reason no specificsystem of operation has been included 65 herein. Obviously a machine ofthis character is very flexible and is adaptable for use in any line ofbusiness where it is desired to make duplicate entries in diiferentcolumns of record material. For example: Banks may use such a ma- 7(1)chine for balancing depositors accounts, or public utility companies mayuse such a machine for preparing statements of subscribers acccunts.Another suggested use is the printing of cine money orders and obviouslythere are raw 7 merous other uses for a machine of this character.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form orembodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In an accounting machine having a traveling carriage, the combinationof means to release the machine for operation; means to lock thereleasing means; members on the traveling carriage located inpredetermined columnar positions thereof; and means whereby the membersmove the locking means to inefiective position and operate the releasingmeans.

2. In a calculating machine having a traveling carriage, the combinationof means to release the machine for operation; members on the travelingcarriage; means cooperating with the members when the traveling carriageis tabulated to operate the releasing means; means effective upon returnof the traveling carriage from any tabulated position to render themembers ineffective; and means cooperating with a part of the renderingmeans to restore the members to eflective positions.

3. In a calculating machine having a traveling carriage, the combinationof means to release the machine for operation; members on the travelingcarriage located in predetermined columnar positions thereof; meanscooperating with the members when the traveling carriage is tabulated tooperate the releasing means; an element on the traveling carriageshiftable relatively thereto to render the members ineflective; andmeans eii'ective during return of the traveling carriage from anytabulated position to shift the element to render the membersineffective.

4. In a machine of the class described having a traveling carriage, thecombination of means to release the machine for operation; means to lockthe releasing means in inefleetive position; an element cooperating withthe releasing means and the locking means; members on the travelingcarriage located in relation to predetermined columnar positionsthereof, adapted to move the element when the traveling carriage istabulated to cause said element to displace the locking means andoperate the releasing means; a slide on the traveling carriage movablerelatively thereto to render the members ineffective; and meanseffective during return of the traveling carriage to a predeterminedposition from any tabulated position to move the slide relative to thecarriage.

. 5. In a calculating machine having atraveling carriage, thecombination or means to release the machine for operation; means tooperate the releasing means; means on the traveling carriage located inrelation to columnar positions thereof to displace the operating means;means on the traveling carriage and shiftable thereon to move thedisplacing means to ineifective position; means eifective upon return ofthe traveling carriage from any tabulated position to operate theshiftable means; means cooperating with the shiftable means when shiftedfor retaining the displacing means in ineffective position; andmanipulative means to render the retaining means inefl'ectlve.

6. In an accounting machine having a traveling carriage, the combinationof means to release the machine for operation; members on the carriagelocated in relation to predetermined columnar positions thereof; meansdisplaced by the members, when the carriage is tabulated, to operate thereleasing means means on the travel ing carriage and movable relativelythereto to render the members ineffective; means effective during returnof the traveling carriage from tabulated position to move the meansrelative to the carriage; and manipulative means to restore the means onthe carriage to render the members efi'ective.

'7. In a machine of the class described having a traveling carriage, thecombination of means -to release the machine i'or operation; members thecarriage movable relatively thereto from a normal position to render themembers ineffective; means eflective upon return of the carriage fromtabulated position to operate the relatively movable means; and meanscooperating with the relatively movable means to retain the members inineffective positions, said retaining means also adapted to bemanipulated to restore the relatively movable means to normal and themembers to eflective positions.

8. In a machine of the class described having a traveling carriage.thecombination of means to release the machine for operation; means tolock the releasing means in ineffective position; a plurality of memberslocated in predetermined columnar positions on the traveling carriage;an element operated by the members upon tabulation of the carriage torender the locking means ineffective and to operate the releasing means;a slide on the traveling carriage movable relatively thereto to move themembers to ineffective positions; means effective during the return ofthe carriage from tabulated position to operate the slide; meanscooperating with the slide to retain the members in ineilectivepositions; and manipulative means to render the retaining meansineffective.

9. In a machine of the class described having a traveling carriage, thecombination of means to release the machine for operation; members onthe traveling carriage; means operable by said members, when thecarriage is moved in tabulating direction, to operate said releasingmeans; disablingmeans for said members, said disabling meansbeingmounted on the carriage; and means for operating the disablingmeans during the return of the carriage to a predetermined position froma tabulated position whereby the members are rendered ineifective tooperate the releasing means.

10. In a machine of the class described having a traveling carriage, thecombination of normally ineffective control means mounted thereon; meansfor rendering the control means eiIective, said controlling meansremaining effective throughout tabulating movements of said carriage;and means for restoring the control means to ineflective condition, saidrestoring means being operable during the return of the carriage fromany tabulated position.

AIBERT O'IT. ERNST DREYER.

